The 20th Society of Petroleum Engineers Middle East Oil & Gas Show and Conference (MEOS 2017) concluded on 9 March having attracted a record total of 8,332 attendees, marking a 1.3% increase over the 2015 edition and reaching a new high in the 38 year history of the event.

Confirming MEOS’ position as one of the most important events in the Middle East’s oil and gas industry calendar, attendance growth was matched by the largest conference technical programme in the series, robust participation by 193 regional and international exhibitors, and high levels of satisfaction amongst participants.

MEOS 2017 was held under the patronage of His Royal Highness the Prime Minister of Bahrain Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa. The exhibition was officially inaugurated by Deputy Prime Minister His Highness Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa.

The ExhibitionThe 3-day world class exhibition of oil and gas products and services spanned 12,000 square metres of space at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre and showcased 193 exhibiting companies from 25 countries.

Principal exhibitors included GCC national oil and gas companies – ADNOC, Bapco, Kuwait Oil Company and Saudi Aramco – who participated alongside international supermajors, service industry giants and independent specialist suppliers and distributors from across the globe.

The ConferenceThe parallel conference, organised by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) in cooperation with a committee of NOCs and IOCs, delivered a pace-setting programme featuring 261 papers and e-posters. Divided across 50 sessions, presentation topics included reservoir, production and facilities, exploration and appraisal, drilling and completions, project management, human resources, business models and HSSE.

Under the chairmanship of Nabeel I. AlAfaleg, Chief Petroleum Engineer, Saudi Aramco and Khaled Ahmed Al-Qubaisi, Senior Vice President Zakum Asset Business Unit, ADMA-OPCO, the 2017 technical programme was the largest in the history of the conference series and grew by 15% over the 2015 event.

The packed agenda at MEOS 2017 also included a high level ministerial session, an executive plenary session, a special financial session, 6 panel sessions and 8 technical session keynote speakers.

The conference opened on 6 March at the Ritz Carlton hotel with a ministerial session on the 2017 theme ‘Transforming the Industry Through Innovation and Operational Excellence.’ Following welcome addresses from H.E. Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa, Bahrain’s Minister of Oil and Chairman of the National Oil & Gas Authority; Nabeel I. AlAfaleg, MEOS 2017 Conference Co-Chairman; and Darcy Spady, 2018 SPE President, Broadview Energy, the stage was shared by H.E. Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa and Amin H. Nasser, President and Chief Executive Officer, Saudi Aramco for a discussion on what lies ahead for the industry.

To mark MEOS’ 20th edition, the conference opening also honoured the conference’s previous chairmen, including Saudi Arabia’s former Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and current adviser to the Royal Court H.E. Ali I. Al-Naimi, who addressed the conference on behalf of the former MEOS chairmen.

Plenary and panel sessions over the subsequent 3 days at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre were led by chief executive officers, managers and presidents of NOCs, IOCs and the service industry. Discussion topics included the importance of technology, localisation policies, operational excellence, cyber security, energy economics and industry / academic collaborations.

Other highlights during the course of the conference include a financial session entitled ‘Oil Price Volatility: Continue Investing in the Future to Meet Future Demands or Control Cost to Survive?,’ on 8 March.

A pre-conference workshop ‘Women in Leadership—Invest, Initiate, Innovate’ took place on 6 March led by Huda M. Al-Ghoson, Executive Director Human Resources, Saudi Aramco and Manar Al Moneef, Chief Growth Officer, GE Oil & Gas. The workshop was attended by 120 professionals from 28 companies, and sought to illustrate female potential and accelerate diversity in the workforce through powerful and inspirational real life stories.

Two one-day SPE seminars entitled ‘Advanced Hydraulic Fracturing Design and Treatment’ and ‘Artificial Lift and Production Optimisation Solutions’ also took place on 6 March, attended by 57 delegates looking to improve technical skills.

A full programme of events aimed at the next generation of oil and gas professionals meanwhile offered 260 high school students and teachers the chance to engage and gain valuable oil and gas industry career advice during MEOS 2017.